Do you like VLC on your iPhone or iPad? You don't yet have it installed, but want to? Well, then you'd better be quick about it, as some VLC contributors are unhappy with the fact that VLC is distributed through Apple's App Store, violating the GPL the video player is licensed under. At least, that's what some think.

Rather than having a fit that it is in the app store, all that the authors need to do is contact Applidium to ensure that the sources are released to retain GPL compliance.

It isn't Apples fault, this is the fault of Applidium for not releasing the source.

AFAIK there's no problem with the source code in this case.

This is about Apple's restrictions colliding with the end user rights granted by GPL. Apple's 'Usage Rules' state:

"The Usage Rules shall govern your rights with respect to the Products, in addition to any other terms or rules that may have been established between you and another party."

Which sounds fine, except that Apple's usage rules violate the rights given by GPL, such as the Apple restriction of 'limiting use of a product to five Apple-authorized devices', which goes against end user rights defined in the GPL and thus is a licence violation.

Again, not a surprise, since a licence that protects end user rights meshes like oil and water with an environment like the App Store which places restrictions on end users.